# Is "Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader" by Edward Abbey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader by Edward Abbey (E.P. Dutton, 1984) is identified by: First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page. First-thus reader (first collected appearance of this selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page
- Edited by Abbey from his own work, with his selections from twelve of his books, including a rare excerpt from Jonathan Troy and a then-unpublished excerpt from The Rites of Spring
- 383 pages, illustrated by the author
- The hardcover is bound in quarter white cloth with black paper over boards, the title stamped in red/maroon on the spine, in an illustrated dust jacket carrying the printed price at the front flap that should be unclipped on the true first
- A simultaneous softcover issue in black, white, blue, and red illustrated wraps also exists
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Abbey |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page. Edited by Abbey from his own work, with his selections from twelve of his books, including a rare excerpt from Jonathan Troy and a then-unpublished excerpt from The Rites of Spring; 383 pages, illustrated by the author. The hardcover is bound in quarter white cloth with black paper over boards, the title stamped in red/maroon on the spine, in an illustrated dust jacket carrying the printed price at the front flap that should be unclipped on the true first. A simultaneous softcover issue in black, white, blue, and red illustrated wraps also exists.

## Is this the true first?
First-thus reader (first collected appearance of this selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988. The 1984 Dutton hardcover and its simultaneous Dutton softcover are the first appearances of this compilation.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader* by Edward Abbey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/slumgullion-stew-an-edward-abbey-reader
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.